Just in case you missed my previous post about my trip to New York…I just recently came back from a trip to New York 😉 Anyways, this was my first trip since I went minimalist and that definitely made my  travel experience different from any other. Different in a good way that is and in several different ways.

First of all, my luggage was very minimal. I brought just the essentials and even used my one pair of jeans that I brought for the majority of the trip. I brought one pair of shoes, which I would have previously brought a pair to match every one of my outfits, but since I’ve minimized my wardrobe (and shoes) everything went together with just the one pair. I did have enough shirts and under garments, but folding the Konmari way definitely helps with space. Also, coming back home, I didn’t have to think of the logistics of bringing back more things than I brought; I had the same amount of things going there and coming back home.

Now the actual trip and being in New York…well let me back track a bit. Before I was a minimalist, whenever I went on trips I would always think about the things I’m going to buy. Sometimes even make actual plans to buy certain things; souvenirs to bring back home. So with that being said, exploring a new city, a new country, became a search for shops and things to buy. This time around actually enjoyed the experience of being in a new city and seeing what it had to offer other than souvenirs. I also feel like I interacted more with my travel companions on a different level because I wasn’t on a mission to buy something when we walked around the city. I didn’t have shopping in the back of my mind as I had conversations with everyone.

Last, but not least was my wallet. My goodness, my wallet hardly ever came out of my pocket except to buy food and add more money to my Metro card. I’ve never spent as little money on any trip as I did this time and I don’t regret not buying anything. That’s because I’m able to look back on the fun I had and the sights I saw, which is way more valuable than a T-shirt. Those moments and experiences are priceless and last forever, as long as I can remember them, but thank goodness for cell phone cameras. Speaking of which, I’d like to share some those with you…

(Made the pictures B&W to make it look artsy. Lol)

If you can minimize your travel, you can maximize your experience.

I’d love to hear about your minimal travels!